Three of Wands/Judgement.  The Three of Wands (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, the deepest self and personal power, in Aries, “I want,” action oriented, pioneering, assertive) is a card of planning for action that tells of the excitement of seeking out uncharted areas with an optimism that says that no matter what happens, it will be good.  Today may be a good idea to try out some new ideas.  Judgement corresponds with Fire (hot/separates and dry/shapes, and spontaneous, impulsive and energetic change), Pluto (power, metamorphosis, cycles of dying and becoming), Shin (fang), and the Path between Malkuth (the physical world of action and physical, outer reality) and Hod (provides analysis and communication) and represents an opportunity to tally up and pay the bill so we can have a fresh start.  This process can only be accomplished by looking not only toward the future, as my Three of Wands instructs, but also by looking at the past in order to identify what could be holding us back.  Until we accept our past and until we understand the value of our past experiences (whether they are successful or not), we won’t be able to make those plans for the future.

My Thoth card is the Princess of Cups.  Twice in one week!  The Princess/Page of Cups corresponds to Libra (“we are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation), Scorpio (“I desire,” intensity compulsion, mystery) and Sagittarius (“I seek,” philosophic, adventurous, blundering); is a card of soft and tender energies and of getting fulfillment through connections to others, and through innocent and simple joys.  The Princess of Cups is imaginative and playful, and eager to serve.  She reminds us that there is healing to be found in perceiving the world through the eyes of a child; this less-complicated viewpoint can be the catalyst for powerful personal change.

My Legacy card is the Six of Swords, flavored by the Two of Swords.  I had this pair already this week, too!  The Six of Swords (Mercury, reason, intelligence, education, communication, in Aquarius, “I know,” friendships, the group, cause oriented) is about balance, healing, moving towards a better place, and even about learning the science behind things that work (because understanding why they work makes them more effective).  What we need to remember here is that in order to move towards a better place, we must also leave something behind.  This card is similar to the Eight of Cups in that it tells us that sometimes the best thing to do is to move on; the Six of Swords also tells us that we can’t move toward that more positive place unless we have the strength of Will to take that first step.  The Two of Swords (Moon, feelings and emotions, illusion, imagination, in Libra, “We are,” partnerships, balance, cooperation) is flavoring my Six of Swords, and it represents a time of not looking or of shutting out the world.  Perhaps if I choose to shut out the distractions of the physical world and of my own emotions, I will be able to perceive just what that first step needs to be. 

My 6-digit date number is 8, the number that tells of the conscious and deliberate attempt to slow the degeneration of the number 7 in order to preserve for a bit longer the harmony and balance of the number 6.

My horoscopes: “Spend some quality time with your partner today, Sagittarius. Perhaps he or she is a little jealous of your friends or feeling left out. Perhaps you've received invitations lately that are just for you. It might be a good idea to turn one down in favor of being with your partner. Plan a romantic interlude. A little quality time can help get things back on track.”

And: “A large party or group event such as a festival could take place in your neighborhood today. Many of your friends and neighbors, some of whom you haven't spoken to for a while, could attend. You may go with a group of close friends, but don't expect to leave with them. Too many other people will sidetrack you. Take advantage of everything the event has to offer and enjoy yourself. You may make some advantageous discoveries.”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding the Queen of Wands.  This Queen is good at taking charge, making good judgments, seeing new directions and networking, all while keeping sense of humor.  She is telling me to be the same way, and to pat myself on the back if I can attain this.

Yep, another Wild Unknown card: The Moon.  This card shows a crescent moon in the night sky, flanked by two tall evergreen trees.  A simple image, yet it has been craftily constructed to cause unease.  Our brains use patterns to identify and understand, and on the surface the patterns of this card are pretty elementary.  So why does the image make me feel uneasy?  The crescent moon is a waning moon, and the waning moon always makes me feel strange.  I am used to seeing the crescent, but facing west, the direction in which the moon is moving, and not east, at the sun coming up behind.  The waning moon always appears backwards to me.  The two huge fir trees look identical, but upon closer examination I see their branch configurations are actually completely different.  How easy it would be to get confused while traveling through such a forest, and become completely lost!  But everything pictured on this card is natural, and harmless; there is nothing to fear here, except for fear itself.

I really like the way these cards are affecting my understanding of meanings.  I am adding personal texture and depth to the way I see the Tarot.  As much as I really want to work with several of these cards each day, I am holding myself back.  Isn’t it interesting that taking my time is the most difficult part of working with these powerful cards? These new experiences are lovely, and I want to wallow in them.  And wallowing takes time. 

I am plugging away with Lesson 9 of Third Degree (yes, I know; I said Lesson 8 yesterday, but I was wrong), and working on the focus of this lesson, healing and service, feels a lot nicer than the Shadow Work of Lesson 8.  Plus, this one involves an essay, my favorite form of communication.  The icing on the cake is that my in-depth study of Yoga as a YTT trainee is offering another perception of the very concepts I am discussing in my essay and have experienced in the past through the offering of Reiki, Thai Massage, and Tarot readings to others. 

$>